L O V E
by The Last Kunoichi
Summary: After being saved by her, Silas couldn't get her out of his head. He couldn't belive he was in love for the first time in his life. But being an Opus Dei monk and dealing with Genevieve's prejudice boyfriend isn't that easy. Especially for Silas. OOCness!
1. Saved

Silas sank to the ground. Looking up to the heavens, he prayed with everything he had. 

_I'm sorry_, he thought, _please forgive me. This is all my fault. Don't take the bishop away. Take me instead_...

Silas felt very light. He felt as if the soft breeze would carry him away any second.

_I'm dying_, he thought. _This is my time_... Silas wondered if this was going to be one of those deaths where you fall unconscious and then die, or you just simply get wisked off to... where ever you may end up.

His head suddenly felt heavy, the world was a blur, it just kept getting darker and darker, until Silas felt himself it the ground, diving into a nightmarish swoon.

--

Genevieve walked happily among the park. What a nice vacation in London this had been. It was nice to get out of Paris for a while, and it was a great way to practise her english.

The light wind rustled Genevieve's long black curls as she wander into this more deserted part of the park. Once she rounded the bend, she couldn't believe what she saw.

There lay a man, passed out, on the ground; His skin was very pale, almost as white as a cloud's; He had thin white hair, and a huge bullet wound below his ribs. He was unconscious.

Genevieve cried out. The poor man! Why hadn't anyone helped him? That bullet had gone straight through his stomach, he only had a couple of minutes to live.

Genevieve knelt near the man and felt his pulse. There was almost none. Almost. She pulled out her cell phone and called the hospital.

"There's a man passed out here, with a grave bullet wound below his ribs!" Genevieve cried.

"I think that's the same man who brought in a bleeding clergyman!" the man on the other end said.

"Why didn't you help him?"

"He wandered off before we could help him."

"Well, hurry! He's only got so much time!"

--

Silas saw a light up ahead. He thought it was the light to heaven at first, but his eyes opened a little more, and it was acctually a florencent light, on a ceiling. Silas suddenly realized he was lying in a bed. He looked about the room he was in.

There was a window off to the far right in the room, beside his bed lay a chair which had his cloak drapped over it, and a doctor stood to the left of his bed. He wasn't dead, he was in the hospital!

"Oh, he's alive!" a voice said. Silas' rose red eyes darted to his right.

A woman with long black curly hair, forget-me-not blue eyes, dressed in a black shirt and jeans smiled at him. Silas didn't know who this was. He turned to the doctor.

"Ms. Genevieve saved your life," the doctor said, "you would have died if she had not found you in the park."

Silas turned his head back to the woman.

"Thank...you..." he managed. The woman named Genevieve smiled.

"Your welcome," she said. She had a Parisian accent. She was from paris.

Silas suddenly remembered something imporatant, he was suddenly wide awke. He turned back to the doctor.

"Where is Bishop Aringarosa? Is he okay?"

"Whoa, calm yourslef, sir," the doctor said, "you need your rest. If your talking about that preist you brought in, he's doing fine."

Silas sighed and relaxed. As long as Bishop Aringarosa was okay, the world was peaceful.

Well, acctually, not completely. The Teacher had betrayed them! He was never going to hand the Grail over to them. He felt his heart tear.

After all that hard work? After all that he had been through, and he even killed five almost innocent people for nothing! He uttered a great sigh.

"What's wrong?" Genevieve asked.

"Nothing's worth living for, anymore," Silas told her, honestly.

"What are you talking about?"

"A secret I was in pursuit of is lost forever," Silas said, "and I don't know what to do with my life anymore."

"There are many things, sir," Genevieve said, "to live for. There's too much beauty in the world to quit. I'm sure the secret you were pursuing was only a part of that beauty."

"Maybe so," Silas said, "But this was very important to me and my cathloic group... this is all just to much to handle... I don't know if I can bear it."

"May I ask your name, sir?" Genevieve asked, polietly.

Silas wasn't accostom to giving strangers his name, but the aura that surround this woman made him feel comfortable enough to tell her.

"Silas," he said, "my name is Silas."

"Silas, if you just hang on a bit more, you'll make it through," Genevieve said, "you can do it, I know you can. You hung on long enough to live, you can hang on long enough to cope with your loss."

What Genevieve said hit Silas like a wave from the sea. She was right.

"Genny, where are you?" a deep voice called.

Into the room stepped a very tall man. He had dark hair, wide shoulders, a big nose, and had a menacing look on his face.

"I'm here, Jean," Genevieve said to the man, getting up.

The man glanced at Silas. "What were you doing with _him_?" he asked Genevieve, suspicously.

"Jean, I saved his life, I wanted to see if he was okay," Genevieve told the man named Jean. Jean looked at Silas again.

"Genny, some one who looks like _that_ isn't worth saving," Jean said, shooting Silas a look. That comment cut through Silas like a knife.

"Jean! How could you!?" Genevieve said, giving Silas an apologetic look, "looks don't matter!"

"Like heck they don't!" Jean said, rolling his eyes, "C'mon, let's get outta here."

"Oh, Jean!" Genevieve said, exasperated. She turned to Silas.

"Good bye, Silas," she said, "I hope to see you again some other time."

"Better take a good look, it'll be your last of that skinny, pale rat," Jean mumbled, leaving the room.

"Jean, you are so mean! I can't believe you're saying this!" Genevieve said, leaving also.

Silas sighed. Being broken mentally, he thought. It's the city streets all over again.


	2. Dreams

As Silas fell asleep, Genevieve walked angrily out of the hospital, followed by her boyfriend, Jean. 

"Jean, how could you be so hurtful to Silas?" she asked him.

"Silas?" Jean said, "what kind of a name is that? Reminds me of a snake."

"I'll have you know it's english, and it means brave," Genevieve said, "I honestly don't know why I've fallen for you, Jean! That was so mean and inconsiderate!"

"Look, after you pranced off into the park, I couldn't find you, did you know how worried I was? Do you call that inconsiderate!?" Jean yelled at her.

"No, I call that possessive!"

"Oh, why do you have you be so difficult?"

"Why do you have to be so rude?"

"I wasn't rude," Jean said, "how could you like a guy like that? Did you not see his skin colour? White as the snow. That's abnormal!"

"_That_ is not his fault!" Genevieve cried.

"He's hideous! Why save him?"

"Because he was hurt, Jean! No body deserves to die from a cold, unmerciful bullet wound!"

"That disgusting monster does!"

"Jean, that is-"

"No, look, Genny, just promise me not to go near him again. End of story."

"No! End of relationship!" Genevieve yelled.

Jean looked stumped. "A... Are you dumping me?"

Genevieve looked at him. "I see your ego didn't swallow up the last of your brains!" She gave him one last dirty look, and walked off to find a hotel to stay in.

--

Silas woke up. He felt well enough to get up and walk around. The nurse told him he had to take the IV around with him though.

Silas got up and went off to try and find Bishop Aringarosa. He prayed nothing serious had become of him.

--

Manuel Aringarosa was sitting in his hospital bed, watching Sir Leigh Teabing being arrested on the television.

"That traitor would never give us the Grail..." he mumbled, "not in a million years."

There suddenly was a heavy knock at the door.

"Come in!" Aringarosa called.

In stepped a huge albino with blood red eyes, a bandaged chest, and he was draggin an IV around with him.

"Silas! My child! Thank the lord you're alright!" Aringarosa cried, happily.

Silas took a seat near the bed. "Father," he said, "I was in the park and I was rescued."

"Rescued?" Aringarosa said, suprised, "by who?"

"A woman named Genevieve," Silas answered. He seemed happy to be alive, but the bishop saw a great deal of sadness in Silas' eyes.

"What is the matter?" he asked, "you seem awfully sad for someone who just got saved."

Silas sighed. "Everything's wrong! The Teacher betrayed us, the Grail is out of our hands, and Genevieve's boyfriend, Jean, hates me!"

Aringarosa raised his eyebrows. "Silas, look at the television, and you'll see this so-called wonderful teacher now." Silas turned and saw an old man, struggling as he got forced into the police car. That was the same man that bound him with duct tape and threw him in the back of his car ealier!

"As for the Grail and the woman's boyfriend," Aringarosa continued, "it wasn't your fault, Silas. This was all the doing of the Teacher. He's to blame for not delivering us the Grail, not you. If those other two-" he gestured to Langdon and Sofie watching Teabing struggle. "- find the grail, let those fools believe it. There's nothing we can do about it..."

Silas nodded. "I understand."

"And don't fret about the woman's boyfriend," Aringarso told him, "what exactly did he say to you?"

"Not exactly to me," Silas said, "he said to Genevieve that I was a skinny, pale rat."

"Oh, rubbish!" Aringarso said, "have I not always told you that you are an angel? That you are beautiful?"

Silas nodded.

"Then let that idiot think what he wants to think. Did the girl insult you too?"

"No," Silas said, "acctually, she was against everything he said..."

"Well, there you go," Aringarosa smiled, "go back to your room now and rest, my son. You barely escaped death today, and you need your rest."

Silas was about to get up, but he suddenly remember what had happened before he was saved.

"Father!" he said, "I-I shot you. I'm so, so sorry! I-"

Aringarosa raised his hand to silence Silas. "It was a accident, Silas," he said, "a complete accident. The lord is forgiving."

Silas smiled. "Thank you, Father."

--

Genevieve sat on the bed of her hotel room. She just had it up to here with Jean, and how he acted towards Silas was strike three.

She still thought about him after she left the hospital.

Silas... Genevieve thought ... What a perfect name... always _did_ remind me of God...

Genevieve stopped herself. Why was she dwelling on Silas?

Well, you knid of did save him, Genny, she told herself.

Yes, but why dwell on his name?

Because you like the name?

I never heard it before.

Genevieve stopped again. "Fighting with myself," she laughed,"how silly is that?"

She looked at the clock laying on the table. Three o' clock. Yes, it had now been an hour since she had left Jean.

Genevieve got angry at the thought of her ex-boyfriend.

"I've always been annoyed with him being prejudice, but this had gone far enough," she told herslef.

Genevieve sighed. She hadn't eaten lunch yet, so she got up and went down to the hotel's restraunt to eat.

--

Silas had fall into a confused sleep. What an adventure the past two days had been.

He killed five people, was kidnapped and brought to England, got shot, shot the bishop, and nearly died, but was rescued.

Nobody besides the bishop had ever done that for me, Silas thought as he fell asleep.

Silas had never really taken notice to women. They weren't as important as men in Opus Dei. They couldn't even go through the main entrance to get into an Opus Dei headquarters.

But why even bother to take notice? Silas had chosen never to fall in love, get married, or have children, what did he need a woman in his life for?

Well, if you think about it, they can be important, a voice in Silas' head said, a woman pulled you away from death today.

That's diffrent, Silas thought. I only appreciate her because she saved my life. She probably won't see me again. She won't miss me, and I won't miss her.

Hey, you never know, that stupid voice said, again.

Silas decided not to argue with himself. He sighed, and tried to go to sleep.

He had a dream. He dreamed he was back on the streets of the city when he was a boy. Everyone laughing at him and making fun of him. Suddenly, someone pushed their way through the crowd. It was Genevieve. She told the people to leave Silas alone. Silas looked up. She smiled at him. She offered out her hand to help him to his feet. He gladly accept her invitation.

Silas suddenly woke up. He glanced at the clock. It was two in the morning. He sighed and tried to go back to sleep. He didn't dream again.

--

Genevieve had a strange dream too. She was back in the park, wandering about, calling to someone.

'Silas!' she called out, 'Silas! Where are you!?'

She found him in the exact same place as she had eariler today. She couldn't find her cell phone, so she couldn't call the hospital, and there wasn't a pay phone in sight.

'Silas! Wake up! Wake up! Silas, please don't be dead!' She cried. Suddenly, she felt strong arms wrench her away from the poor albino man. It was Jean!

'Don't go near him!' he yelled, 'he's a ghost!' He carried Genevieve off. She looked back at the man, laying on the ground.

'Silas...!"

Genevieve woke up. The clock read eight thirty. What a weird dream! But maybe it was telling her something. Was Silas hurt again?

Maybe I should see how he's doing in the hospital, she thought. She got dressed, combed her hair, brushed her teeth, and ran off to catch a taxi.


	3. Room 17

Silas woke up from a deep sleep. The injury below is ribs was feeling better. He wondered if he would be able to go back to the Opus Dei headquarters. 

He was going to get checked by the doctor again today, so hopefully he _would_ be able to go.

Silas wondered how he was going to get home to Paris. He didn't carry around a huge amount of money with him... he had almost nothing at all.

_Maybe I'll just have to stay here for a while_... Silas thought.

Suddenly, the doctor came in.

"Good news, sir. You're injury is healing nicely, and you can go home now," he said, "just take it easy for a couple of day, and be sure to redress your wound every day at noon."

Silas nodded. As the doctor left, Silas took the IV out of his hand, not caring if he was allowed to or not, got changed into his simple brown cloak, and went to see Bishop Aringarosa.

He was fine. But he had to stay in the hospital a little while longer. Silas bade him good bye and walked out of the hospital.

As he made his way to the Opus Dei headquarters, pulling his hood up as it started to rain, Silas still wondered about what happened yesterday.

_Maybe Genevieve should have left me to die,_ he thought. If it was my time to go, why didn't she just let me go? _God was kind to try and pull me out of this cruel world_.

At that moment, a car sped by him and soaked him by splashing water from a puddle onto him. Silas sighed.

_The icing on the cake,_ he thought, bitterly.

Silas saw the Opus Dei headquarters up ahead, he made a dash for it as the rain fell harder. He ran up the stairs and into his room, and desperatley tried to find the whip for his discipline.

--

Genevieve walked through the doors of the hospital and walked to the front desk.

"I'm here to see Silas?" she said.

"Oh, I'm afraid you're too late," the woman behind the desk said, "that albino guy you're talking about, right?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, I'm afraid he left already."

"Left?"

"Yeah, we released him from the hospital today."

"Well... do you know where he went?"

"Well... he had a cloak on when he left so... I'm guessing he's part of Opus Dei, so-"

"Okay, great, thanks," Genevieve said, rushing out of the hospital, running down the streets. Genevieve stopped running for a minute.

_Why am I_ _running?_ She thought, _why am I in such a rush to see Silas?_

_Because he's hurt_, she told herself, _maybe they let him out too early?_

Genevieve took the excuse and ran to the Opus Dei headquarters.

--

The leg Silas had his cilice wrapped around was numb for having it on for so long. He hoped he hadn't developed some strange infection.

He carefully took the cilice off, wincing in pain and wrapped it tightly around his other leg.

_Pain is good_.

Silas reached for the whip. He took off the top part of his robe and eagerly swung the whip over his shoulder, there was a sickening wack of leather hitting his skin before he felt the seering pain burn through his back and shoulders.

Silas looked up to the crusifix on the wall and smiled.

_Pain is good._

He swung the whip again over his shoulder, hoping to feel his hot blood running down his back. He got his wish.

--

Genevieve knew about Opus Dei, but she didn't know all the rules and regulations. Coming into the building through the front door was breaking rule number one.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?" a man behind the counter.

"I'm... just coming in to see someone," Genevieve told him, wondering what she had done wrong.

"You have to enter around the side, Miss," he said.

Genevieve looked at him. "But I'm already in the building."

The man sighed. "okay, look, I'm letting this go once. The next time you enter from around the side, got it?"

Genevieve nodded and started up the stairs. She came to a corridor with many doors to room, but which one was Silas in?

She took her chances and knocked on door 15. A woman with blond hair and blue eyes wrapped in a burlap cloak answered the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Genevieve said, "I must have the wrong room."

"Who are you looking for?" the woman asked.

"A man named Silas?"

"Oh, the albino one?"

"Yes."

"He's in room 17, hitting himself like the dickens."

"What?" Genevieve cried, "what do you mean?"

"Well, some numeraries here prefer to wear a barbed cilice and flog themsleves until they bleed to remind them of Christ's sufferings," the woman explained, "I don't do it, though. That one does."

"Okay, thanks," Genevieve said, unattentively, running down the hall, two doors down. She knocked on room 17's door. No answer.

--

Silas still hadn't finished whipping himself. He hadn't had the chance to do the number of whips necessary in the past three days, so he had to make up for it. His back was bleeding incredibly now, but he did not stop.

He was so deep into his religious trance, that he didn't hear the knocking at the door.

--

Genevieve knocked again. "Silas? Are you in there?" No answer. Although she did hear a horrible wooshing and cracking sound. Like one whipping oneself.

Genevieve couldn't stand it any longer, she, without thinking, opened the door, unveiling a horrible sight.

Silas was standing in the middle of the room,with the top part of his cloak down, holding a bloody whip, with his back gushing blood like no tomorrow.

Genevieve felt her hands fly up to her mouth, stifling a scream. She immediately shut the door, and sank to floor, staring at room 17 with teary eyes. She wasn't prepared for that.

--

If Silas had a mirror in his room, and if he looked at his reflection, he would see a young man, with pale skin, with his cheeks becoming a deeper red every second.

He wasn't just embarrassed for himself, he was also embarrassed that Genevieve had to endure such a sight.

She wasn't part of Opus Dei, as far as Silas knew, and she shouldn't have had to seen that.

Silas put the top part of his cloak back on, and opened the door to find Genevieve.

She was sitting, rolled up in a little ball, infront of the door, with teary eyes, staring into space. She looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, Genevieve, that you had to see that," Silas said.

"But... how could you... do that... to yourself?" Genevieve asked him, shaking.

"It is part of what Opus Dei asks of me," Silas explained to the shocked woman.

"But-but the woman in room 15 said that not everyone in Opus Dei does it," she pointed out.

"But, I owe so much to Opus Dei, I feel compelled to do this," Sials said.

"What... what do you mean?"

Silas sighed. He didn't want to get dragged back into the depths of hell by the past. But, Genevieve had a right to know the whole story.

Silas explained about when he was a child, growing up in poverty, being sent to jail in Spain, and then ending up in Opus Dei.

Once he was finished, Genevieve sighed. "That's so sad," she looked up at Silas again. "How did you survive?"

"Faith kept me alive," he answered. He offered his hand to help her up off of the floor. Genevieve grasped Silas white hand and was pulled up with ease as if she were a feather.

"No more tears, now, Genevieve," Silas smiled, making her smile too. He looked down. He suddenly realized his hand was still holding her's. He quickly dropped it and looked back up to her.

"So, why did you come to see me?" he asked.

"Well, I wanted to know if you were okay!" Genevieve said.

--

Bishop Aringarosa was watching Silas and the woman from behind the corner. She was weeping before, and Silas had gone to comfort her.

_One's first look at corporal mortification is almost always disturbing to the eye_, Aringarosa thought.

Silas was telling her the story of his life before he came to Opus Dei, and he helpt her up to her feet. But Silas' hand seemed to linger too long in her's.

Aringarosa mentally shook himself. _Just my imagination._


	4. Missing You

Jean was laying face down on his bed. What a day it was yesterday. he couldn't believe Genevieve had left him. His dear, sweet Genevieve. 

And she left him for what? Nothing but defending that ghost she found unconsious in the park!

Jean sat up. Genenvieve called what he had said to that monster 'prejudice' but Jean saw it as 'knowing who's bad and who's good'.

Jean longed for Genevieve to come back to him. He missed her! But no, she had to defend her new found friend. Oh, that was a load of garbage!

"Well, I'm gonna get 'er back, no matter what it takes!" he vowed.

--

"I never knew you felt that strongly about my condition," Silas said to Genevieve, still standing in the hallway.

"Well, one should care about someone they saved, I think anyway," Genevieve said, smiling.

Her smile is so baeutiful, Silas thought to himself, without warning. He meant it as a nice complement, but something deep inside him told him it was a bit more than nice. He ignored that feeling and kept talking with Genevieve.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Genevieve said, "Silas, I am so sorry about Jean yesterday! He's been terrible lately, so I left him! I couldn't believe he would say that to you!"

"You left him?" Silas asked, rasing his eyebrows, "you didn't have to. Just because he insulted me. I've had that a lot, and... I suppose you can say I got used to it."

"Oh, no, Silas. He's prejudice against anyone who's different, and he had no right to leap at your throat like that," Genevieve said, looking into Silas' red eyes.

His eyes remind me so much of crimson red roses, Genevieve thought. That's what she really thought, but she considered it just a cute remark.

_Not like so, Genny_, a voice in her head said.

_Oh shut up!_

Silas was about to speak to her when he heard fotsteps behind him. He turned to see who it was. Manuel Aringarosa was making his way toward them.

"Father! You are out of the hospotal already?" Silas said, happily and relived.

"Yes, yes, they said I was fine," Aringarosa said. His eyes fell upon the lovely young woman standing next to Silas.

"I've never seen you around here, Miss," he said.

"Oh, I'm Genevieve, I'm the one who saved Silas yesterday," the woman said.

"I see," Aringarosa said. "Uh- Silas, is it not time for your ten o' clock prayers?" Aringarosa asked.

"Oh, yes, thank you, Father," Silas said. He turned to Genevieve. "I have to go now. Hopefully I'll see you again another time?"

Genevieve nodded. "I have to go get some shopping done anyway. Good bye, Silas," she turned to the bishop, "good bye, Father."

"May the peace of the lord be with you," Aringarosa nodded, and made way for Genevieve to pass.

_And may the lord's strength help Silas to maintain his vows_, Aringarosa thought.

_Oh, Manuel! You're over re-acting. That woman should have the right to see Silas, she saved him_. A voice in his head said.

_Silas isn't acctosomed to seeing women._

_Neither are you._

Aringarosa decided not to dwell on his suspicions. He probably was over re-acting. He bade Silas good bye and left him to do his prayers.

--

Silas was in the process of kneeling when he felt a sudden wave of emotion hit him.

He didn't want Genevieve to leave. He was having a nice time, talking to her.

_But what do you care if she leaves or not?_ He asked himself.

_Well... she did save me... I guess I could call her a friend._.. he answered himself.

_Friend... ha ha... that's funny._

_What?_

_You seem to like her more and more._

_So?_

_So, I have a feeling you like her a lot._

Silas sighed. He had been doing this a lot, arguing with himself, ever since he met Genevieve. He decided to not think about her, because whenever he did, he had an odd feeling growing the depths of his chest. Silas permanatley banned all thoughts of the outside world, now, to pray.

He prayed for about fifteen minutes. He exhaled slowly, thinking about the Lord.

Silas felt awfully tired. It had been an exhausting three days, so he lay down on his canvas mat and fell fast asleep.

--

Genevieve walked down the street, still thinking about what Silas told her. Genevieve felt even more happy that she saved him, now that she knew what happened before.

But she wished she could still talk with him, but he was a monk, and he did have to pray.

_I'll see him again another time_, she promised herself.

Genevieve suddenly realized something. Silas wasn't from around London. He talked with an accent but didn't talk with an English one. As Genevieve listened to him talk, she thought she heard a Parisian accent, but who knows?

She sighed, thinking about him again.

_Something's up with me_, Genevieve thought, _ever since I saved Silas, I've been thinking about him non-stop._

Genevieve thought a bit more. She had just left Jean yesterday, and she had no friends or family in London... Silas could serve as a friend.

Friend. Already it seemed an odd word to describe Silas. But why?

_Oh no, no, no,_ Genevieve, she told herself. _You are **not **falling in love with him._

_I'm not! I think he's just a good friend._

_Horse Feathers!_

_I'm serious!_

_No you're not._

_Even if I did love him I could never be with him. He's a monk!_

_So?_

_So what?_

_You seem to be growing on him too._

_What are you talking about!?_

_His hand seemed to linger one second too long in your hand._

Suddenly, Genevieve bumped into someone. It was Jean!

"Genevieve!" he cried, "Come back to me!"

"I told you no, Jean!" Genevieve yelled, "I can't be with someone who is as prejudice as you are!"

"Sweety, I'm not prejudice-"

"I'm not your sweety!" Genevieve said, "and you _are _prejudice! You don't like Silas just because he's albino, and you don't even know him!"

"Neither do you!" Jean shot back, "and that's not called prejudice, Genny, that's called racist!"

"I've had enough of you, Jean!" Genevieve said, "leave me alone!" With that, she walked off. But she was not suprised to see Jean following her.

"Genny-"

"Don't call me Genny," she said.

"Genevieve, you don't know him either! For all we know, he could be a killer!"

"Acctually, Jean, you're right," Genevieve said, "he was a killer, but he prays for forgivness every night. I know, because I talked with him!"

Genevieve tried to walk off without Jean, again, but right now, that seemed impossible.

"But I miss you!" Jean whined, sounding like a three year old.

"I guess that is too bad, because I don't miss you."

"Oh, Genevieve, I'm sorry, okay? There it is! I said I was sorry, now can we please kiss and make up?" Jean said, grabbing her arm.

"Don't touch me, Jean!" Genevieve said. She wrenched her arm out of the huge man's grasp and ran down the street. She looked back. She couldn't believe this. He was following her!

"Genevieve!" He called, but that only made Genevieve's legs carry her away faster.

She rounded a bend and hid in a dark little alley. After some mintues, she thought she had lost Jean. She sighed.

"I hate that man," she mumbled. She got up and walked with caution to the store to finish up her chores.


	5. Lovesick

Silas was still lying on the canvas mat, but he didn't feel like getting up for some reason. He had a nap and was well rested, but he felt somewhat sick. He was still was trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He knew he had to get out of the room soon because the cleaning service always cleaned up the rooms at twelve.  
Well... it wasn't exactly a cleaning service, it was really just the women who joined Opus Dei. They weren't as important as men, and Silas never exactly cared, but now that he had met Genevieve, he was a little uncomfortable with that rule.

He still felt sick, but it wasn't his stomach or head that was hurting... it was his heart.

_What is wrong with me?_ he asked himself.

Suddenly, he felt like his heart had been set a flame. It wasn't heart burn, Silas knew, it was something completely diffrent. The flames that embraced his heart were flames of passion.

Passion? Passion for what? Silas sometimes felt this when he prayed, because he was passionate about praying, but he hadn't prayed in two hours...

Silas felt the passionate flames burn into his soul now. He shut his eys and, almost automatically, he thought of someone.

She had curly black hair, forget-me-not blue eyes, a beautiful smile, and an angelic face. It was Genevieve!

_What is going on!?_ Silas was very confused and scared now. He shut his blood red eyes again, but Genevieve's image didn't go away, and the burning through his heart and soul only increaed.

"Bishop!" he cried, "Father!" Silas didn't know if he could help himself, maybe Bishop Aringarosa would help him. But he was all the way in the chapel a floor above.

Silas didn't know why, but he decided against getting the bishop to help him. Intution somehow told him not to.

Silas wanted to get his mind off of the pain his heart was enduring. He suddenly remembered another time he had felt this way.

When he accidently shot Bishop Aringarosa yesterday, his heart was burning with greif and anguish. He also felt this when he would watch, horrified, as his father beat his mother, blaming her for Silas' condition, when he was just a boy. His heart and soul would cry out in rage, compassion, and love for his mother.

But these invisible flames seemed more violent and painful than any of those times. Silas didn't want to close his eyes or else he would be miraculously totrued by Genevieve's perfect face.

_Why do I think about her so much?_ Silas asked himself, clutching his heart. _This is insane! I don't kow what's going on!_

Suddenly, he remember he had his cilice around his leg. He flexed his thigh, and the burning in his heart and soul immdeatly ceased. Silas layed his head back down on the mat.

"What was that?" he asked. Silas tried to close his eyes again, but the burning just came back, and so did Genevieve. He moaned. This was just to strange.

--

Aringarosa was passing infront of room 17 when he heard someone moan. What was wrong? He knocked on the door.

"Who... who's there?" Silas' voice asked, feebly.

"It's Bishop Aringarosa," Aringarosa said, "Silas, are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine..." Silas muttered.

"You don't sound very fine," he said, "are you sick?"

"I don't know..." was the monk's response.

"Look, I'm coming in, now, okay?"

"Fine..."

Aringarosa stepped into the room.

Silas was lying down on the canvas mat, squeezing his eyes shut, as if trying to block out a disturbing image, and clutching is chest.

"What's wrong, my son?" Aringarosa asked, kneeling next to him.

"There's an unbearable burning in my heart and soul, and it won't go away," Silas answered.

Aringarosa's heart skipped a beat. _Oh no_, he thought. _Oh no, no, no, don't tell me. This can't happen! Not to Silas!_ But, he kept his cool.

"It's not heart burn?" he asked.

"No, I haven't eaten much at all," Silas said, opening his eyes, trying not to blink.

"Silas, blink," Aringarosa said, "if you don't you're eyeballs will dry out."

"I can't," Silas said.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I don't want to."

"That's odd. Why don't you want to blink?"

"Because if I do, I'll see..."

"See what?" Aringarosa said, dreading the answer.

Silas hid his face in his palms and muttered a name that Aringarosa couldn't make out.

"What was that?"

"Genevieve," Silas said, making an effort to speak clearly, "every time I close my eyes, that happens. What's going on, Father? I'm scared."

Aringarosa's heart fell. He didn't want to tell Silas what he was feeling, so he just gave him some instructions.

"Silas, here's what you do to make the burning go away," Arinagrosa said, "tighten your cilice a bit more."

Silas reached for his right leg and tighten the cilice one notch more.

"Say a little prayer, and well... just try to avoid Genevieve at all costs, okay?"

"But why?" Silas asked.

"Because since Genevieve is a new friend to you," Aringarosa lied, "you want to get to know her better, but you don't have the time, so you will miss her for a bit, but soon, she'll be a mere memory. Okay?"

Silas nodded. "Thank you, Father."

Aringarosa nodded also, and left the room for Silas to pray again.

Once he was out of the room, he heaved a great sigh. What the poor albino felt wasn't a longing to see his 'freind'. Silas was love-sick.


	6. A Fight

Genevieve walked back to her hotel room, her hands full of shopping bags. She hoped she wouldn't meet Jean again on the street. 

She entered the hotel and got into the elevator and pressed the button that read number 12. She sighed as the elevator ascended. She was kind of lonely now. Usually Jean would be with her everywhere she went, but she didn't want Jean to come with her now.

Genevieve closed her eyes and sighed. She suddenly felt a feeling of longing in her heart. For someone she had only met yesterday, but she felt like she had known him all her life. Silas.

She opened her eyes, but the feeling wouldn't go away. She remember when she first met Jean she felt this.

_Oh no_, she thought, _My conciouns was right! I'm falling in love with Silas._

Genevieve was shocked at how quickly she was falling for him.

_Fate doesn't need time, Genny_, she told herself.

Genevieve shook herself and stepped ut of the elevator, as she made her way down the hall, the longing feeling only grew.

_I can't be in love with him,_ she thought, _he's a monk._

She sighed and unlocked the hotel room. She steped in, set her shopping bags down, and flopped onto the bed.

The longing feeling was still there.

_I'm love-sick_... she thought. Genevieve knew diffrent people got diffrent love-sicknesses. Some people form obbsessions, some have a longing (like Genevieve) for the one they love, and some had an unbearable burning feeling in their heart.

Genevieve tried to get her mind off of Silas. She decided to read a little bit. The only problem was that her book was a book about forbidden love. She sighed and put the book down. What was going on? Why did she all of a sudden fall for someone completely unsuitible for her?

Suddenly, someone came into the room. It was a maid.

"Excuse me, Miss," she said to Genevieve, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm staying here while I'm in London," Genevieve answered, confused.

"Oh, I'm afraid we had no vacancy left," the maid said.

"What?"

"Who gave you this room?"

"The woman at the front desk."

"Did you get her name?"

"Yes, it was Bonnie."

"Oh, Bonnie, that forgetful little trainee," the maid said, exasperated, "I'm sorry, Miss, but Bonnie must have forgotten this room was reserved for today, tomorrow, and the next day."

"What!?" Genevieve cried, "but, where will I stay?"

"Now, now, deary, there's plenty of other hotels around," the maid said, taking out a duster.

"Maybe so," Genevieve said, "but none of them are close to..."

"Close to what?" the maid asked.

"...him..." Genevieve answered, barley a whisper.

"Oh, got a boyfriend?" the maid chuckled, "young love... ha ha..."

Genevieve sighed. She packed up her bags, and got her shoes on.

"I'm sorry, deary," the maid said, "but I don't control our customers."

"Oh, it's okay, it wasn't your fault," Genevieve said. She walked sadly out of the room, and into the elevator.

_Great_, she thought, _first my ex-boyfriend chases me, I'm love-sick, now this?_

She checked out, and walked out of the hotel.

Genevieve passed by an alley she decided to sit and rest. She wasn't in the mood for walking to fast.

She watched as the sun sink and the moon rose.

_I best be getting out of here_, she thought, _when night time creeps around, not the friendliest people in the world come about here._

Genevieve got up and started walking in the direction of the Opus Dei headquarters. She wasn't about to go see Silas, even though her heart cried out for her to do so, but she just stared at the headquarters and continued to walk.

--

Silas was staring out the window. He still couldn't fully explain what happened to him earlier. That feeling was still with him, slightly. Suddenly, he saw Genevieve walking down the street looking sad.

Bishop Aringarosa's instruction for Silas to stay away from her completely flew out of his head. He rushed down the stairs, and out the door.

"Genevieve!" he called to her, running.

Genevieve turned around. She saw Silas, running towards her. She smiled and automatically ran to him also.

It seemed almost natural to run up to someone and jump into their arms for Genevieve. She had gotten so used to doing it when she was with Jean, and she was about to leap in Silas' arms, but she stopped herself just in time.

"What are you doing with you're bags? Are you leaving London?" Silas blurted out.

"Oh, no, I'm not going anywhere," Genevieve answered, "I got kicked out of my hotel room because some forgetful girl gave me a reserved room, and there's no vacancy left."

"You're going to another hotel, then?"

"Acctual, no," Genevieve said, "I can't go to another hotel, because they're all to far from..." she stopped herself just in time.

Silas was about to ask her what she was too far from, but he suddenly remembered Bishop Aringarosa's voice telling him to stay away from Genevieve.

Normally, Silas would obey him, but something deep in his heart told him that he shouldn't.

Silas couldn't believe for the first time in his life, he was disobeying the man who took him in all those years ago. But the burning in his heart only stopped when he saw Genevieve for some odd reason.

"Genevieve, I think we should go away from here to talk," he whispered, urgently.

"Why?" Genevieve asked.

"There's just someone in the headquarters that I can't have see us together," he explained, pained to talk about the bishop behind his back.

The couple walked a little bit around the street and stopped near a tall bush, making it's way up a gate.

"Genevieve, I have to tell you something," Silas said, "when you left earlier today, I had to oddest feeling in the world. I felt like my soul and heart were on fire, and every time I closed my eyes, I saw your face. Do you know what's going on? Because I have no idea at all."

Genevieve's heart skipped a beat. Silas was in love with her too!

"Silas..." she said, trying to keep her cool, "see, um... y-your in love..."

Silas' breath was caught in his throat. He was in love with Genevieve? That was how love felt? But he couldn't fall in love! He wasn't allowed to fall in love.

The fog seemed to lift now. Silas all of a sudden really appriciated life for all it was worth. Espically Genevieve, who was part of that life. But his heart was set a flame again. Did she love him back?

"You're... you're right, Genevieve..." he said, "I do love you."

Genevieve's soul sang with joy. "Silas! I love you too!" she said, suddenly.

Silas, then, reacted completely on instinct, forgetting Aringarosa's warning, forgetting the seering heat in his heart, forgetting he was a monk. He pulled Genevieve close and kissed her.

Genevieve didn't expect that. She relaxed every tense muscle in her body, and slipped her arms around Silas' pale neck, pulling him closer.

Silas never exactly kissed anyone like this before. Just because he never felt like this before. Genevieve's lips felt like rose petals against his.

He completely forgot that he wasn't supposed to fall in love, and if he ws caught, he would get into serious trouble, but Genevieve seemed like a dose of lithium to him. She made his world perfect; there wasn't a worry in his life while he held her in his arms.

"GENEVIEVE WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" a deep voice sounded behind them.

There stood Jean, looking at the couple as if they were the strangest sight, and the most hurtful sight in the world. They probably _were_ to Jean's eyes.

Silas stood between his new found lover and the hulking beast. He felt awfully small, despite being very tall himself, but he would rather get hurt then to see Genevieve with the same fate.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?" Jean yelled at Genevieve over Silas, "LEAVING ME FOR _HIM_!?"

"Jean, I told you to leave me alone!" Genevieve cried.

"I WOULD BUT I CAN'T BEAR TO SEE YOU LIKE THIS!" Jean ranted on.

"What are you talking about?" Genevieve asked, getting angry now.

"YOU LEFT ME FOR THIS... THIS... _FREAK_!" Jean screamed, "DO YOU KNOW HOW BAD THIS IS GOING TO MAKE YOU LOOK? DO YOU KNOW HOW BAD THIS IS GOING TO MAKE _ME_ LOOK?"

"I don't care about you anymore!" Genevieve yelled, "how can it make you look bad if I left you? And Silas is not a freak! He's special! He's pure! An Angel! He's my angel!"

Jean looked down at Silas and scoffed. "You call him an angel?" he asked Genevieve, "you've got pretty bad taste."

"That must mean you are one level lower than me," Silas said, finding his voice.

"What?" Jean said, angrily.

"You told Genny she had bad taste, you just said you were a bad choice," Silas said.

"DON'T YOU ANSWER TO ME, YOU-YOU GHOST!" Jean yelled. Jean's word cut through Silas once again. His father would always call him a ghost. But, Jean wasn't finished yet.

"I WAS THE BEST CHOICE SHE EVER MADE!" Jean roared, "AND SHE THREW HER LIFE AWAY FOR _YOU_!" with that, he pushed Silas, sending him slightly unbalanced.

Silas was skilled at fighting, so he regained balance and hit Jean square in the jaw.

"Leave us alone! Genevieve made her choice!" Silas yelled.

Jean roared like an angry bull and lunged for Silas, who nimbly leapt out of the way, causing Jean to hit his head on the gate.

He swung his fist at the monk, but unfortunatley, he didn't miss, and hit him in the eye.

"Silas!" Genevieve screamed.

Silas was knocked to the ground, and Jean was about to hit him again, but Genevieve leapt into the brawl, and jumped onto Jean, trying to pull him away from Silas.

It distracted Jean enough for Silas to get up and drive his foot into Jean's shin. Genevieve jumped off of Jean, who was clutching his shin, and ran to Silas.

"Silas, are you okay?"

He nodded and turned his attention back to fighting. Jean hit him in the jaw, bruising it, and he was about to hit him over the head, but suddenly Jean got a blank look on his face, and fell inches away from Silas. Genevieve was holding another rock, prepared to hurl it at the huge man again, but there was no need.

Genevieve ran up to Silas and jumped into his arms.

"Gently, please," Silas told her, holding her close.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Genevieve said, "Silas, you're bleeding."

"I-I'm fine..." Silas said.

"You're jaw is bruised, you've got a balck eye, and you have a bloody lip," Genevieve said, "we have to get you back to the headquarters."

"How?" Silas asked her, "I can't let anyone see me like this or with you. Espcially not the bishop."

Genevieve thought. "I have an idea."


	7. Secrets and Lies

Silas walked into the headquarters with his hood up and his head was tilted downwards, making it impossible for anyone to see his face. Thakfully, nobody was in the lobby, so he made his way to his room with ease. 

Genevieve had gone around to the side door, and made her way up the stairs a diffrent way, and ran silently to room 17. She knocked on the door, making sure Silas was present in the room.

He opened it and she leaped in as fast as she could to avoid the footsteps they heard coming down the hallway.

"You didn't get caught by anyone?" Silas asked Genevieve.

"No. You?" Silas shook his head. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Genevieve had no where to hide, so Silas motioned her to hide behind the door. She ran and pressed her body against the wall.

"Silas, it's time for mass," Bishop Aringarosa's voice called to him. Silas felt his heart leap into his throat. If the bishop caught Genevieve in his room, he was in deep trouble.

"I-I can't go to mass, Father," Silas said, uneasily.

"What do you mean you can't go?"

"I-I'm still sick."

"I told you to forget about her!"

"I have, but it's my stomach that's hurting now!"

"Do you need some sort of medicine?"

"No, no, I just need to rest. I'll pray in here instead."

There was a pause.

"As you wish," Aringarosa said. With that, Silas heard his footsteps fade away down the hall. He breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to Genevieve.

"I can't believe I just lied to him," he confided her, feeling guilty.

"Silas, you couldn't let him see you like this anyway," Genevieve said, walking up to him.

"I know, but I'm not allowed to love you," Silas sighed, "if I'm caught, I'm in so much trouble, you wouldn't believe."

"Then it will be our little secret," Genevieve smiled.

"Yes, but-"

"Don't worry about it, Silas," Genevieve said, sitting him down on the canvas mat, "relax, now."

Genevieve reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchif, and tenderly wiped some of the blood off of Silas' mouth.

"Ouch," Silas said.

"Sorry, but I'm trying to be as gentil as I can," Genevieve smiled, stuffing the bloody handkerchif into her pocket.

"And you're not hurt at all?" Silas asked her.

"Not at all," Genevieve answered, "I'm not sure what to do about your eye and jaw, though... I don't carry an ice pack around with me..."

"I'll just let it heal on it's own," Silas shrugged, although his injury was throbbing.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"If you say so."

Genevieve sighed and looked out the window. "I don't know what I saw in Jean anymore," she sighed, "he's a terrible man, and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for being his girlfriend."

Silas shook his head. "You didn't know his true colours, Genevieve," he said, "you were right to leave him. But you didn't have to run to me."

"But I wanted to run to you," Genevieve said, "you're the man I love, now."

When Genevieve said that, Silas felt warmer than he ever had in his life. This was obviously no joke, she loved him. She said he was her angel, and she doesn't care about how he looks. Sh truly loved him.

Something red near Silas' ankle caught Genevieve's eye. She turned to look at it, and she was shocked to see it was blood!

"Silas! Your ankle is bleeding!" she said, trying to keep her voice low.

Silas' blood ran cold. He had forgotten he was wearing his cilice. "Oh, it's nothing," he lied.

"No, no, your bleeding like the devil," Genevieve reached for her handkerchif again, and moped up some of the blood.

"It's seems like it's trailing from somewhere else," she noted, still cleaning up the stream.

"No! Genevieve!" Silas cried, but it was too late. Genevieve had pushed back the bit of material that covered his cilce, which was a very gruesome sight.

She dropped the cloth and clapped her hands over her mouth. Silas hastened to pull the material back over his thingh, but Genevieve stopped him.

"Sials..." she whispered, "...what happened to...?"

Silas sighed. "It's part of my corpral mortification," he explained, casting his eyes away from Genevieve's, that were brimming with tears.

"Silas... it's too tight..." she choked, "y-you can die from a blood infection if you tie this to tight."

Silas tried to explain. "There's a reason behind this, Genny. My agony reminds me of the pain and suffering Christ endured."

"But-but look at your leg!" Genevieve whispered, trying to calm herself, "you can't even walk properly with this." She thought. "Have you worn it for the asked two hours?"

Suprised at her knowlege of Opus Dei, Silas answered her honestly and said yes.

"Then, take it off, please," Genevieve pleaded, "I can't bear to see you like this."

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt," Silas lied. He had to stop doing that.

"Please, Silas? For me?" Genevieve said as a single tear slipped down her rosy cheek. She clutched his hand, looking sadly into his red eyes.

Silas hesitated. He unbuckled the cilice, wincing in pain as he pulled it off, and placed it near the mat.

Genevieve took the handkerchif and wrapped it around Silas' leg tightly to stop the bleeding.

"Promise me only two hours a day?" she asked him.

"I promise," Silas said. Genevieve leaned in and gave him a tender kiss on his pale lips.

"Thank you," she smiled.

--

Aringarosa was preaching the mass to the other numeraries, upstairs, but he wasn't all that comfortable now. He was so used to having Silas sit in the front row, watching him and listening intently.

The bishop noticed that Silas had been acting really strange since he met Genevieve. He had even been love sick earlier today, which really worried Aringarosa. For ten years, Silas had stayed faithful to his vows, but now they seemed pretty shakey.

Aringarosa had forbidden Silas to see Genevieve, and asked that he pushed her completely from his mind, but at a time like this, it would be awfully hard for him... Aringarosa knew. Before he had become a bishop he fought love sickness, and it wasn't a peice of cake.

He pushed his disturbed thoughts from his mind and continued preaching. He would talk to Silas afterwards.

--

Silas was sitting up against the wall on his mat, holding Genevieve close. She had fallen asleep in his arms while they were sitting and talking.

_What an odd day it had been_, he thought, staring at the moon out the window. He had been love sick, kissed a woman for the first time in his life, was beaten by a horrible man, lied to Bishop Aringarosa, and now here he was, sitting in a small, little room, on a canvas mat, holding the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms.

Silas felt his eyelids dropping slowly but surely. He was about to close his eyes completely, but there was a knock at the door.

"Silas?" he heard the bishop's voice.

"Uh- j-just a minute, Father!" He called. He lifted Genevieve up with his powerful arms. There was no place to hide her, except for behind the door. He proped her up against the wall, making sure she wouldn't get hit by the door, but to stay out of sight also, and opened the door.

"I see you are feeling better, my son," Aringarosa said.

"Oh yes, I am," Silas said. Aringarosa looked up at Silas and gasped.

"What's wrong, Father?" Silas asked, completely oblivious.

"Wha-What happened to you?" Aringarosa cried.

Silas suddenly remembered his black eye, bruised jaw, and swollen lip. It pained him to lie to the bishop again, but what choice did he have?

"Oh, after my prayers I had fallen asleep," Silas said, "I was having a bad dream and I turned violently, and I hit my head on the wall."

Aringarosa didn't seem to buy it. "Silas, you look as if you've been beaten!" he exclaimed.

Silas sighed. He would tell the bishop half the truth.

"Okay, I was out for a little while today, I wandered into this alley way, and... well..."

"Someone beat you?" Aringarosa asked. Silas nodded.

The bishop sighed. "My poor Silas," he murmured, "come, let's get you some ice for that eye."

Silas didn't want to leave Genevieve, but hopefully she would just stay asleep for the time he was with Aringarosa.

He followed the preist into the abandonned kitchen where he pulled some ice and handed it to Silas.

"Sit down, my son, I need to talk with you," Aringarosa said. Holding the ice to his jaw, Silas nodded and sat down at the table.

"Now look," Aringarosa said, "remember earlier today when you had that longing to see your friend, Genevieve?"

Silas had a feeling he knew what was coming up. He nodded.

"Well," the bishop continued, "forgive me, Silas, but what you felt wasn't longing to see your friend."

Silas pretended to look suprised. "It's not?"

Aringarosa shook his head. "You were love sick."

Silas raised his eyebrows. As much as he knew that, there were still a question he wanted answered. "Love sick? But how?"

"Well, Silas, this is perfectly natural, especially for you, to accidently fall in love," Aringarosa said, "I just told you you were missing your friend because I didn't want you to get any ideas in your head.

Silas felt a wave of guilt hit him.

"You see," Arginarosa said, "I know what you're going through, because I went through it too."

Silas was suprised. It was hard to imagine the bishop ever falling in love. "Really?"

"Yes, it was before I met you, when I was young," the bishop said, "So, I just want you to maintain your vows, okay?"

Silas understood. Aringarosa smiled and sent him back to the room with the ice. He opened the door with caution, trying not to wake Genevieve, but he found her in the same position he left her.

Silas smiled, carried her back to the canvas mat, and fell asleep while he held her in his arms.


	8. Alone Again

Genevieve woke up slowly. She looked out the window. The sunlight was streaming into the room in yellow bars. She was propped up against the wall, in the arms of her new lover. 

Silas was still asleep, breathing softly. Genevieve decided not to disturb him. She lay her head onto his shoulder, sighing. She felt so peaceful.

Silas eyes fluttered open. Genevieve had her head on his shoulder, looking straight ahead, as if thinking. He yawned, and sat up straighter.

"Good morning, Genny," he smiled. Genevieve turned and smiled also.

"Hello, Silas."

"Were you okay sleeping propped up against the wall all night?" Silas asked, feeling a pain through his back now, from having to lean on the wall for about eight hours.

"Oh, of course I was," Genevieve said. She gazed out the window again, "what are we going to do about today?"

"What?"

"We can't stay in here all day," Genevieve said, "you need to go to mass or else your bishop will know something is up."

"Um, Bishop Aringarosa knows I'm in love," Silas confessed.

"Huh?" Genevieve looked up at him.

"Last night while you slept, he came to see me after mass," Silas explained, "when I got love sick yesterday, I didn't know what it was until you told me. He doesn't know that we're together, and he doesn't know about Jean."

"Then how did you explain your face?" asked Genevieve.

"I told him I had been out for a while and was beaten by a stranger after wandering into some abandonned alley."

Genevieve lay her head back onto Silas' broad shouler, "for a monk, you lie pretty well."

Silas knew it was a complement, but it was something he shouldn't be congradualted for.

"I'm not supposed to lie," he said, guiltily, "I didn't want to lie, but it was either that or never see you again."

"If you are truly sorry," Genevieve said, "just ask for forgivness and try to avoid lying at all costs."

It was a pretty reasonable plan, but Silas still had something disturbing him. He was breaking his vows behind everyone's back. He felt like such a traitor. But he pushed the feeling away. They had another problem to deal with: The day.

Genevieve looked at her watch. It was eight. If there wasn't anybody in the lobby, they could easily slip out and hang around London for some time.

Silas wasn't so sure. If they were caught, there were consiquences he and Genevieve would rather not recieve. But it was barley eight, and most of the numeraries were still in their rooms praying. So, he agreed to Genevieve's plan. He just said a quick prayer before he left, took Genevieve by the hand and led her silently along the corridor.

As they crept silently down the stairs, Genevieve accidently hit a creaky part of the stairs. They stopped to listen for anybody coming. Nothing. They breathed easy and made their way down the stairs, through the lobby and out the front door.

It was a nice day in London. Slightly overcast, but there was a hint of blue sky about. Silas and Genevieve made their way down the street until the Opus Dei headquarters were out of sight.

"Oh! There's this really nice place I'd like you to see!" Genevieve said to him. She lead Silas down a couple more blocks and into the park she had found Silas earlier.

Genevieve hoped she remembered where that spot in the park was. Everything seemed to fly out of her head once she found Silas passed out with a bloody wound under his ribs, but thankfully she found the place.

It was a little brook with a small bridge passing over it. Some wild flower grew a little bit along the banks. It was almost like a place you would find in a fairy tale.

"I had wandered away from Jean the day I found you for a little while," Genevieve said, "I thought this place was perfect to relax. It kind of takes you out of this cruel world for a bit."

Silas had to agree. This place was deserted and completely quiet except for the soft babbling of the brook. He and Genevieve sat down near the brook, staring into space.

"You know," Genevieve said, "ever since I met you, I've felt like my world was perfect."

Silas smiled, warmed by Genevieve's words. He held her close.

"And I feel the same with you," he said, "you calm me even though, if we get caught, we'll be in trouble."

Genevieve giggled a bit. "Don't worry about it, Silas," she reassured him, "we won't get caught. I promise."

Silas faced her and smiled again. They were about to kiss, but a horribly familiar voice was heard behind them.

"Well, well, well, look at the happy couple," it said. Silas and Genevieve turned to see Jean standing there, smiling sarcastically with a bruised jaw and shin.

"How did you find us?" Silas asked, angrily.

"Simple," Jean said, "when Genevieve knocked me out yesterday, I saw you runnning back to the Opus Dei headquarters before I blacked out, and you obviously couldn't stay there, Genevieve, so I suspected you'd go back to place where you first met." There was a tone of anger, jealousy, and sarcasim on the last note of Jean's sentance.

Silas angrily got up, helping Genevieve also. "Come, Genny," he said, "we needn't be here with him." Genevieve nodded and walked off with him, but Jean followed.

"I won't get mad at you two any more," Jean said, striding behind them.

"Good, now leave us," Genevieve said, knowing he was lying.

"Oh, I will," Jean said, "but I have a question for your new boyfriend."

Silas rolled his eyes. "I'm listening," he said, sarcastically.

"Good," Jean said, "why are you a part of Opus Dei?"

Silas didn't answer.

"You're a monk, you're not allowed to love Genevieve."

That familiar guilt hit Silas again. His cheeks burned, but he kept on walking.

"Why join that cult anyway?" Jean continued, "all you do is pray, pray, pray, and hurt yourself."

"Opus Dei is not a cult," Silas answered, shortly, "it's a catholic group, and I like to hurt myslef." He saw Genevieve cringed when he said that. He mouthed the words _'I'm sorry'_ to her. She nodded, understanding.

"Well, I think it's barbaric and pointless," Jean pressed on, "who cares about God anyway? Everyone knows He doesn't exsist."

Silas stopped. Jean had really pushed that button.

_Release your hatred_, he told himself, _forgive those who tresspassed against you_. He tried, but what Jean said really got to him.

"Honestly, I think religion is just a bunch of boloney," Jean continued, getting the reaction out of Silas that he wanted, "it's all just lies, lies, and more lies."

Silas' hands clenched into fists. He tried to block out Jean's hateful words, but they just kept breaking through to his ears.

"As for Opus Dei," he scoffed, "I hope they overturn and perish."

Finally, Silas lost it. Jean had insulted the very thing that saved him! He ran at Jean, hoping to hurt him as much and humanly possible. But Silas forgot this man was much bigger and stronger than he was, as much as it was hard to believe. Silas swung his fist at Jean, but Jean grabbed his wrist, twisted it, until Silas yelled out in pain, and his knees gave way. He fell to the ground.

Silas tried to wrench his wrist away from the awful man, but he was met face to face with a gun.

"Silas!" Genevieve tried to rush to his aid, but Jean pointed the gun at her.

"Don't move another step," he said, "or this bullet will find it's way right through your lover's head." Jean turned his attention to Silas. "And if you try anything funny, the same fate goes for her!"

Genevieve looked at the two men, with tears blurring her vision.

"Jean,_ je vous déteste_," she managed, her voice full of hate for the man that held her poor Silas now.

Jean forced a pained smile onto his face. He turned back to Silas.

"You stole her from me," he whispered, "this is all of _your_ fault. You deserve her as much as I deserve to let her go with you."

Right now, Silas had regretted throwing his gun down a drain earlier.

Jean threw Silas down once again, still keeping him at gun point, as he moved towards Genevieve. He caught her by the waist and held her close.

"You will tell nobody of what happened here," Jean told him, backing up to a small parked car near the road.

"And if you do," Jean said, opening the car door, "my dear Genny will be gone before you know it."

With that, Jean forced Genevieve into the car, and drove off, leaving Silas alone, once again.


	9. Rescued

Silas marched through the doors of the head quarters angrily. He ran up the stairs, to his room, and slammed the door with extreme force, not caring if he woke up any of the other numaries. 

He sat down on his canvas mat and sighed. He glanced at the crusifix.

"Why is this happening to me? This always happens to me! _Why have you forsaken me?!"_ Silas yelled at it. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He fell against the wall and started crying.

--

Someone slamming their door hard immedeatly startled Arinagrosa out of his prayers. He sighed. Some numeraries had to learn to control their temper. He'd go down and give him or her a piece of his mind.

He came out of his room, and coasted along the corridors, scanning the doors. He came to room seventeen. There was a small but visible crack in it. It was Silas' room. He knocked at the door.

"Silas, what's going on in here?" Aringarosa asked.

He heard Silas mumbled something, but couldn't make it out. He opened the door.

Silas was sitting on his canvas mat, leaning against the wall, with tears streaming like waterfalls from his red eyes. He was sobbing uncontrolably.

"My son, what's wrong?" Aringarosa asked, rushing in.

"He took her..." Silas said, through sobs, "he took her away from me, and if I try to stop him, he'll kill her."

Aringarosa felt as if he had missed a step on the stairs. What was Silas talking about?

Silas decided he had to tell him the truth or else he would never be able to save Genevieve. He told the bishop about him loving Genevieve, and her loving him back, and her prejudice ex-boyfriend who took her away.

Once he was finished, Aringarosa was in shock. Silas had lied to him... He had broken his vow of never falling in love, and he got himself beaten for it... Aringarosa sighed, but he had to face the other facts too.

Love was love. What can you do? Silas was a human being like anyone, and once he had found someone who was perfect for him, something was bound to happen.

"Father, I'm so, so sorry," Silas said, "I know I had sworn a vow, but Genevieve loved me back, and-"

Aringarosa sighed. "Silas, I won't punish you for this because I know your a stranger to love, and this was only your first time," he said. He hesistated. "And if you really want to, you can stop being a monk to go with Genevieve."

Silas looked at this bishop suprised. Aringarosa was letting him do that?

"Now," he said, "Silas, where do you think this evil monster has taken your girlfriend?"

--

Genevieve wanted nothing more than to get out of this car. But Jean was already driving too fast, and she wasn't crazy enough to leap out of a moving car. But hate for Jean was filling in her system like no tomorrow.

"I'm so glad to have you back," Jean said.

"I hate you," Genevieve repeated.

"Oh, don't talk like that, sweety," Jean said, "pretty soon you'll forget about that albino and you'll love me like you used to love him."

Genevieve couldn't believe her ears. "I left you for a reason, because you were so mean to Silas," she said, "and he loved me as you never did. You even said it yourself. Silas deserves me as much as you deserve to let me go with him."

Jean chuckled. "Oh, I'm afraid you misunderstood, Genny," he said, "I meant that in a bad way. I don't deserve to let you go with him at all."

Genevieve felt more hate overcome her.

"No matter," Genevieve said, "I'll either find a way to get back to Silas, or Silas will find a way to get to me."

--

"Okay, think," the bishop said, walking towards the park, "which direction did they speed off in?"

Silas thought. "North," he answered.

Aringarosa looked as if an idea had hit him. "Of course!" He cried.

"What is it, Father?"

"The last time I was here, I had to chase some theif to this place! That ex-boyfriend of your girlfriend's must have made off with her there!" Aringarosa whistled for a taxi. "Silas, I think we _will_ be able to rescue Genevieve."

--

Genevieve sat in a small little room. It wasn't like Silas' room at the Opus Dei headquarters. It was damp, dirty, and she was unsure of the creeky floor boards. She just sat on the little cot while Jean was watching tv in the other room.

She sighed and looked out the window of the small aparment. There was nothing more she wanted than to be held by Silas right now.

"Oh, Silas," she sighed, "where are you?"

--

Silas stepped out of the taxi, following Bishop Aringarosa towards this old tumble-down aparment building.

They were in the bad side off London now, and Silas' awful memories began to surface again. He tried to block them out by thinking about Genevieve.

Aringarosa stepped over the threshold to the building, and began to read a list of names that hung near the stairs. He kept on going until he found a name of someone who was on the third floor, room six. Jean Bouquet.

"That's him," Silas said, pointing to Jean's name.

Aringarosa nodded and turned to him. "Go around the back until you get to the sixth window on the third floor," he instructed, "hopefully Genevieve will be in that room."

"But if she's not and it's Jean, he'll kill Genevieve!" Silas remembered, slightly panicked.

Aringarosa's expersion turned grim. "That would be a problem... maybe you should throw a rock or something at the window and see who comes to it."

"And if it's Jean?"

"... Keep yourself out of sight."

Silas ran around the back and found the sixth window on the third floor. He found a stone on the ground and hurled it at the window.

--

Genevieve was sitting on her bed, thinking of a way to escape, when she heard a tap at her window. Had someone thrown a rock at it? She walked to the window, avoiding the creaking floor boards, and opened it and peered down.

Silas was looking up at the window with a rock in his hand. Genevieve breathed a sigh of relief.

"Silas! Thank God you're here!" Genevieve cried.

"Sh! Genevieve, whisper!" Silas said in a low voice, "if he hears you, he'll kill you!"

"Oh, he wasn't really going to do that," Genevieve said, "he was bluffing. He told me so once we got here."

It was Silas' turn to breathe a sigh of relief. "Okay, see that vine near the window?" he began.

"Silas, I can't climb down!" Genevieve said, "I'll fall! I'm afraid of heights!"

"You won't fall!" Silas promised, "the lord will protect you. I know this is a dizzying height, but it's either this or be held captive by Jean for a longer time!" Silas still sensed uneasiness in Genevieve.

"And incase you do fall, I'll catch you," he added.

Slowly, Genevieve put her foot out of the window, and stood up, shaking, on the window sill. She inched her way towards the vines and grabbed onto them, quickly.

_This is just like rock climbing_, Genevieve thought. _Just let yourself down slow-_

"Genny!? Genevieve, dearest! What's going on?" Genevieve heard Jean coming into her room.

Genevieve swore aloud and tried to decsend, but her muscles seemed to be paralyzed.

"Genevieve! Where are you!?" Jean yelled, getting angry, now. His head suddenly stuck out of the window. His angry blue eyes turned to see Genevieve holding onto the vines.

Without thinking, Genevieve let go of them, and felt herslef fall through air. She let out an ear peircing scream, but before she hit the ground, she was caught by a pair of strong, pale arms. Shee glanced up at Silas and thanked him.

Silas let her down, grabbed her hand, and ran around to the front, ignoring Jean yelling at them. The bishop was waiting for them at the front.

"We have to hide or else he'll catch us!" Silas yelled, nearing the confused preist.

"What are you talking-?"

"Jean saw Silas rescuing me," Genevieve cried, still being dragged along. Her legs weren't as fast and as long as Silas' were.

The three ran down the streets, and it wasn't before long, when Genevieve saw a blue car almost slam into a mail box, pursuing them.

It was Genevieve's turn to lead. With all of her strength and speed, she ran infront of Silas, and led him into an abandonned alley way, with the bishop following.

"He's in his car, we can't run anymore," Genevieve said, breathlessly, "keep quite and out of sight."

The threesome moved quitely further into the alley, and pressed up against the wall. Genevieve peeked around the corner. The blue car was driving slowly, and thankfully Jean was looking in the opposite direction. She ran back to Silas and the Aringarosa.

As the car passed, Genevieve couldn't watch. She burried her face into Silas' shoulder, feeling a fearful tear run down her cheek and onto his cloak. Silas, looking the other way to, felt Genevieve's tear, and held her close, trying to keep calm himslef.

Aringarosa glanced and Silas and Genevieve. He felt a deep sadness grip heart. Silas really loved her. He was definatley going to become what was called a 'supernummerary' in Opus Dei, which is a member, but they don't use corporal mortification and they have families. He would miss Silas greatly, but this was his choice, and if he wanted to be with the woman he loves, so be it.

The blue car passed, not noticing the runaway girl, the monk and the priest hiding in the alley.

They emerged from the alley, and ran towards the Opus Dei headquarters.

"But he'll surely find us there!" Genevieve said, trying to keep up with Silas again.

"Not if we lock the front entrance," Aringarosa said.

Genevieve hoped he was right. Being taken away from the man she loves was bad enough, but being taken away a second time would be torture.


	10. Deadly Loyalty

Luke was admiring a painting behind his desk. What else was there to do? All he did was greet the numeraries and showed them to their rooms. He ached for his shift to be over so that he could go pray, but then something happened. 

In through the door burst that monk named Silas, with that woman he had seen a couple of days ago, followed by Bishop Aringarosa.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can't bring this woman through the front door!" Luke yelled, getting up from his seat.

Silas ignored him and tore up the stairs, but the bishop ran to the desk breathlessly.

"Please, you have to lock the front door," he said.

"What? No. How will the other numeraries get in?"

The preist glanced over his shoulder nervously. "Please, sir! It's a matter of life and death."

Luke thought. He hesitantly got up with the skeleton key and locked the door.

"Thank you so much. May the lord be with you," Aringarosa said, and hurried up the stairs.

Luke scratched his head, confused. _What was all that about?_ He glanced at the clock above the painting. Finally! His shift was over. He took one last look at the locked entrance and went upstairs to pray.

--

Meanwhile, upstairs, Silas was trying to calm Genevieve down. "Why are you crying?" he asked

"If Jean gets a hold of you, God only knows what he will do," she sobbed, "he's not violent with me, but once some guy was talking to me, and Jean landed him in the hospital! That was only for talking to me! I don't want you to get even more hurt!"

Silas stared at Genevieve's falling tears. He put his arm around her shoulder.

"Nothing will happen to me," he said, "I promise you with everything I have." He decided to tell her about what Bishop Aringarosa had told him.

"Genevieve, our secret isn't a secret anymore," he began.

"So I noticed," Genevieve giggled, gazing into Silas' blood red eyes.

"I told him about us, and he said I could stop being a monk to go with you."

Genevieve's blue eyes were suddenly bright with suprise. "Really?" she said.

Silas nodded. Genevieve felt a smile spilt across her face. She leaned towards him and felt her lips come in contact with his. She caressed Silas' pale cheek while she felt his strong hands pull her closer. The world seemed peaceful again.

--

Jean had seen the three people he was in pursuit of run down the street in his rearview mirror. He didn't follow them because he knew where they were headed. The Opus Dei headquarters. He'd go later.

But, now, for some reason, the front door to the headquarters wasn't unlocked. He pushed and pulled with all his might and it still wouldn't budge! He finally took his fist and drove it through the glass and unlocked it from the inside.

Despite having a bloody hand, Jean ran up the stairs, and looked for the monk who ran off with his girl friend.

He opened every single one of those doors, not caring if he was envading anyone's privacy, until he cam to room seventeen.

--

Still in the arms of the man she found unconcious on the ground four days ago, Genevieve felt like the world had stopped turning. Nothing was to be worried about anymore while he held her.

Suddenly, the door flew open. In stepped the man she had _left_ four days ago. She and Silas broke apart, and looked startled at Jean.

Jean swore loudly and stepped angrily into the room. Silas got up and pushed Genevieve behind him, protecting her from this terrible beast.

"Give me back my Genny!" Jean yelled, "she's my girlfriend and _you stole her from me_!"

"For the last time," Silas said, annoyed now, "Genevieve chose me, and there is not a thing you can do about it-!"

Jean pulled out his gun. Silas shut his mouth.

"Ah, forgot I had this, eh?" Jean said.

"Jean!" Genevieve's tearful voice cried out, "put that gun down, now!"

"I'm afraid I can't, Genny," Jean said, "killing your boyfriend is just an oppurtunity I can't miss."

Silas couldn't believe this was happening. He shut his eyes. He refused Jean to be his last image on earth. Instead, he focused on Bishop Aringarosa and Genevieve. He slipped her little hand into his. He heard Jean cock the hammer back. He waited for the bullet to peirce his flesh, but suddenly, the unthinkable happened.

As Jean pulled the trigger, Genevieve pushed Silas away from the gun with all her might, and took the bullet through her chest. Before she blacked out, Genevieve felt a huge sense of accomplishment.

**Cliffhanger! Haha! Plz R&R... plz? (makes puppy dog eyes)**


	11. Goodbye

Silas screamed in horror as he watched his beloved Genevieve fall. He shot her! That monster had shot her! 

Silas felt angrier than he ever felt in his life. Jean looked kind of shocked too.

Wasting no time, Silas, with all his force, punched Jean in the nose, twisting it at an akward angle, and lifted Genevieve up off of the floor, and dashed out of the room.

Silas felt like this was shooting the bishop all over again, except this time it was his wonderful Genevieve. He ran down the street, back to the hospital. The doctors would probably wonder what was happening in his life, but Silas didn't care.

Genevieve's head fell limply onto Silas' arm. He glanced down at the grave bullet wound in her chest. It narrowly missed her heart. He felt his legs carry him faster towards the hostial which was dead ahead.

--

Genevieve was just coming to, when she noticed she was being carried. She looked up and saw a blurry image of Silas with tears streaming down his face. She looked about the room. she was in.

She was in a hospital waiting room. Everyone was staring at her and Silas.

A doctor helped Silas put her gently onto a stretcher. She made an effort to speak.

"Silas..."

"Oh thank God, you're alive!" Silas exclaimed. Genevieve heard the doctor tell Silas he wasn't allowed in the emergny room, but he could see her after the operation. He understood, but held onto Genevieve's hand none the less.

--

Aringarosa heard a gun shot down the hallway. Silas and Genevieve were in trouble! He ran down the hallway, but when he got to room seventeen, Silas nor Genevieve were there, except for presumably Jean, on the floor clutching his nose.

Aringarosa took out his cell phone and called the police. This criminal had done enough damage for today. But what was this? There was blood on the floor. Was Silas or Genevieve shot? Aringarosa stayed with Jean until the police came, and then he ran off as quickly as he could to the hospital.

--

Silas sat in a chair near the emergency room, nervously awaiting the news on Genevieve. Hate for Jean was boiling in his blood incredibly now. Suddenly, he saw someone come through the front doors of the hospital. It was the bishop! Silas ran to meet him.

"Silas, are you okay?" he asked, "where's Genevieve?"

"In the emergency room," Silas told him, painfully, "she pushed me out of the way of Jean's bullet."

Aringarosa sighed. "You two needn't worry about Jean anymore; The police have him behind bars now."

The two men sat near the emergency room impatiently for hours, when finally, a nurse came out of the room.

"I'm happy to say your girlfriend is alright," she said.

Silas smiled. Same with the bishop.

"But she's still very weak," the nurse continued. "You can see her now if you'd like."

Silas nodded and stepped into the room. Genevieve was in a bed with a bandaged chest. She seemed to just be waking up from a very deep sleep. She yawned.

"There you are, Silas," she said, feebly.

"Oh, Genevieve," Silas said, taking a seat next to her, "why did you do that? You nearly got yourself killed."

"I couldn't bear it if Jean killed you," Genevieve explained, "I sensed that God would protect me, and He did. I love you too much to let you get killed because of some jealous idiot."

Silas sighed. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"And I am the luckiest woman.

Silas leaned in and kissed Genevieve lightly. But suddenly, a strange emotion came over him.

He loved Genevieve so much that he would tear the world apart if it made her happy, and Aringarosa said he could get married to her and have children! But what about Opus Dei? This orginization was his life. They had saved him from the cruel poverty in which he came from, and he would be forever in debt to them. But it was no way to repay a debt by not being a member anymore. And he made certain comitments and he liked being a monk. He couldn't just give it up like that! He felt a wave of sadness drench him. He sighed and broke up their kiss.

"What's wrong?" Genevieve asked.

"Genevieve," Silas started, trying to find the right words, "I-I don't think we can keep this up..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." Silas was having a hard time, not wanting to hurt Genevieve's feelings. "I-It's not that I don't love you, but I don't think we can be together anymore. I'm a monk, and I've made certain sacrifices and I must stick by them."

"But you said Bishop Aringarosa told you you could not be a monk anymore," Genevieve said, still confused.

"But remember the story I told you of how I used to be before Opus Dei rescued me?"

"Yes."

"I owe my life to them. And... well... I just can't leave them like that. Please understand that I love you so much, but..."

Genevieve nodded. "It's okay, Silas. I understand. Religion means a lot to you. Besides, even if you did ask me to... marry you, I wouldn't be ready."

Silas nodded, feeling tears brim in his eyes. Genevieve's eyes welled up with tears also.

--

Days past, and Genevieve healed nicely. Despite their 'break up' Silas visited Genevieve everyday. Until, Genevieve was let out of the hospital and it was time for her to leave London.

She and Silas stood on the steps of the headquarters, gazing silently into each other's eyes.

"Well," Genevieve said, trying to talk over the lump that was forming in her throat, "I'm leaving"

"I hope you've had a good time," Silas said.

"Silas," Genevieve smiled, "I've had the time of my life here, with you."

Silas smiled, painfully. He took something out of his pocket and pressed it into Genevieve's hands. It was a rosary.

"Take this to remember me by," he whispered.

Genevieve smiled, took it, and put it in her jeans pocket. She also pulled out something.

"Take this," she said, handing Silas a necklace with an emerald on it .

Silas smiled and pocketed it. Genevieve couldn't stop her tears this time.

"Silas," she said, "know that I will never _ever_ forget you." she sniffed as her tears splattered onto the cement. "I love you," she managed.

Silas felt his tears roll down his cheeks too.

"I will never forget you either... I love you too," he said.

Genevieve looked up at Silas.

"Silas, I know you're a monk and all but..." she hesitated. "Kiss me one last time."

Silas gladly fulfilled her wish, kissing her as ardently as he could. Once they broke aprat, the taxi that took Genevieve to the airport arrived.

Genevieve sniffed again. "Goodbye Silas," she said.

Silas could only wave as he watched Genevieve go down the stairs and into the taxi. As the driver pulled away, Genevieve set her bag down, clutched the rosary Silas had given her and cried her heart out.

Silas leaned on the side of the headquarters, sobbing into his forearms. He held the necklace while his tears fell, trying to remember the kiss he had given her.

From then on, Silas never really underestimated women again. And whenever it cam time for him to wear his cilice, he only wore it two hours a day, and left it a couple of notches loose. Just for Genevieve.

**THE END**


End file.
